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Old Dominion's Jonathan Adams swished a three-pointer with 5.5 seconds to go Sunday night to edge the Charlotte 49ers, 69-68, in a thriller at Halton Arena.
Charlotte point guard DiJuan Harris had a chance to win the game with a difficult runner from eight feet with one second left, but his shot was short. The 49ers' Charlie Coley got a hand on the rebound but couldn't control it. Then the ball – and the game – dribbled out of bounds, just out of the 49ers' reach.
“That's a very tough loss to take,” Charlotte coach Bobby Lutz said. “Down the stretch, they made every shot.”
ODU's Adams had only two points until his game-winning shot, which was the first of the senior's career. But Adams told teammates in the huddle just before the play that he had a feeling he was about to hit a big shot, and seconds later he did so.
Lutz then called his last timeout. The coach hatched a plan for the speedy Harris to take the in-bounds pass and either penetrate and pitch the ball to a teammate or else shoot it. ODU countered by double-teaming Harris all the way down the court.
“The main thing was to keep Harris from going coast to coast,” ODU coach Blaine Taylor said.
Harris still got a half-step on his defenders. But he saw no one else open, dribbled toward the right baseline and missed.
“I was just trying to make a play,” Harris said, “and I fell a little short.”
The crowd of 5,849, which filled about two-thirds of Halton Arena, filed quietly out into the night as the 49ers dropped to 1-1.
The dramatic conclusion was fitting for a nonconference game between these two former Sun Belt rivals that swung back and forth all evening.
Charlotte was an 81/2-point favorite over ODU. The Monarchs, playing their season opener, were picked in the preseason to finish third in the Colonial Athletic Association.
ODU led for most of the game – by eight at halftime and by 10 points early in the second. ODU helped itself considerably with its 39-23 rebounding advantage. But the 49ers – energized by reserve center Phil Jones and his six blocked shots – stormed back. Charlotte led for all of the game's last 6:27, except those last 5.5 seconds.
Charlotte had a 67-63 lead with 23 seconds to go after two free throws by Harris. But ODU quickly got a three-pointer from a wide-open Ben Finney to cut the lead to one.
Harris got fouled and made one of two free throws, giving the 49ers a 68-66 lead with 14 seconds to go and setting up Adams' go-ahead three-pointer.
The Charlotte players said they had “miscommunications” on each of ODU's final two three-pointers and rotated incorrectly on defense.
“I'll take the blame for that,” Lutz said.
Charlotte had four players in double figures. Coley led the 49ers with 14 points, Lamont Mack had 13, Harris 12 and Ian Andersen 10. ODU had three players with 14 points – Gerald Lee, Darius James and Finney.
The 49ers next play at Appalachian State on Wednesday and then at home against Clemson on Saturday.
Between now and then, the 49ers will probably work a lot on rebounding. Lutz was very perturbed about Charlotte getting 16 fewer rebounds than the Monarchs. The coach said the team's brightest spot was Jones, who Lutz said “probably had his best game ever for us” with seven points, six blocks and four rebounds in 16 minutes.
“It's just a shame,” Lutz said, “that it came in a loss.”
| ODU | Min | FG-A | FT-A | OR-TR | A | PF | PT |
| Finney | 33 | 3-6 | 6-6 | 1-7 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| Adams | 22 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Lee | 28 | 6-9 | 2-2 | 5-9 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
| James | 36 | 4-9 | 3-4 | 0-2 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
| Neely | 20 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Cooper | 6 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Hassell | 14 | 0-3 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Bazemore | 15 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 0-4 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Carter | 26 | 2-9 | 1-2 | 3-8 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Totals | 200 | 22-51 | 16-21 | 14-39 | 16 | 24 | 69 |
| CHARLOTTE | Min | FG-A | FT-A | OR-TR | A | PF | PT |
| Mack | 24 | 3-11 | 6-6 | 1-3 | 1 | 3 | 13 |
| Wilderness | 32 | 2-6 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Coley | 35 | 5-7 | 4-4 | 0-3 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
| Harris | 31 | 3-6 | 5-6 | 0-2 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| Coleman | 22 | 2-9 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Barnett | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ngoundjo | 6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Andersen | 13 | 2-4 | 4-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Jones | 16 | 2-3 | 3-3 | 1-4 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| Dewhurst | 17 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Totals | 200 | 20-48 | 24-27 | 5-23 | 8 | 18 | 68 |
| Old Dominion | 36 | 33 | – | 69 |
| Charlotte | 28 | 40 | – | 68 |
